By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- Phoenixville, Pa. — The Phoenixville Police Department will shut down operations after 99 years due to staffing shortages and financial strains, transferring law enforcement duties to Chester County and nearby agencies. (police1.com)
- Effective date & transition: The department will cease active patrols by Feb. 29, 2026; Pennsylvania State Police and Chester County Regional PD will assume response responsibilities. (police1.com)
- Reasons cited: Declining applicant pool, failed hiring incentive, rising salary/benefit costs, and budget limits made it “unsustainable” to keep the agency fully staffed. (police1.com)
- Community reaction: Officials stress continuity of public safety services and say an advisory board will guide transition; some residents expressed concern over response times. (police1.com)
PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. — The nearly century-old Phoenixville Police Department will wind down operations by Feb. 29, 2026, as local officials grapple with chronic staffing shortages, budget constraints and recruitment challenges that made maintaining an independent department untenable, authorities said. (police1.com)
The borough’s officer ranks have dwindled in recent years, and efforts to lure recruits—including bonus incentives and increased wages—failed to keep posts filled, leaders said. With limited capacity to sustain 24/7 patrols and specialty functions, borough council and police leadership agreed to transition primary law enforcement responsibilities to the Pennsylvania State Police and Chester County Regional Police Department beginning March 1. (police1.com)
Officials stressed that residents will continue to receive public safety services, with troopers and regional deputies covering emergency calls, traffic enforcement and community outreach. A transition advisory board is being formed to coordinate policies, dispatch protocols and community expectations to minimize any disruption. Some residents, however, have voiced concerns about response times and losing a department with deep local roots. (police1.com)
Borough representatives said the decision followed detailed staffing reviews, multiple hiring campaigns and incentive programs that fell short of sustaining safe staffing levels. With pension and benefits costs rising, council members concluded the department was no longer sustainable as an independent entity. (police1.com)
Officials promised that the transition process over the next months will include public meetings and updates on how state and county resources will integrate with borough services. The shift marks the end of a 99-year era of local policing in Phoenixville but aims to preserve core safety functions under a regionalized model. (police1.com)